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"You already agreed to it, Alpha King. And you already took steps to protect her. Your mate is the bravest woman I have ever seen, and even you have to admit that she has a way of making difficult situations easy. I mean, look at Nalaila," Alphose said, sipping his drink casually.

Wolfaraine didn't reply. He has barely touched his own drink.

Alphose was most surprised when the Alpha King returned to his home after just leaving it the night before. He figured that something must be wrong.

At first, his King/friend had been tight-lipped about it and instead, went ahead to ask about the progress of the preparations they were making. They'd talked about that for a while before Wolfaraine had opened up.

At first, he'd been speechless. He was shocked that Ismena would suggest attempting such a dangerous mission, but what shocked him the most was the fact that Wolfaraine agreed to it.

But when he got over his shock and heard everything the Alpha King had to say, he acknowledged that perhaps, it wouldn't be an impossible mission after all.

"Nalaila is doing much better now," Wolfaraine conceded, staring at the liquor in front of him intensely, "Although, neither has she taken her female form nor does it seem like she will ever take it, but she really has made progress. However, I am not my sister, Alphose and you know that."

"I know. I do know that. But you told me about the defenses she has right?

Even without the rhodium powder and the Morgan Silver, just that damn garlic is enough defense for her.

When I was twenty-three, I stumbled upon the damn thing at a market in the human world," The cougar Alpha visibly shuddered, "The scent was like torture.

The cougar retreated so deep inside me that I didn't feel my animal for the rest of the day. It was a terrifying experience really."

Shaking his head, Alphose took another sip of his drink. "So, you have nothing to worry about. If the cougar wanna play flunky, she throws the damn garlic at you and you'll force-shift back to the male form. Everyone wins."

Wolfaraine rose from where he'd settled at the huge, luxurious couch and made his way towards the window.

He crossed his arms, looking out of it, "I am not worried about the defenses I gave her.

I am worried that she might not use them.

" Finally, he let out his greatest concern that has pricked him since the underground basement.

"What? Why would you think—" Alphose began, perplexed.

Wolfaraine cut in, "We are talking about Ismena here. A woman that has risked her life over and over again because of me...who is on the verge of doing it again—all because of me. You really think she will really use those defenses, knowing fully well that they will hurt me physically?"

Alphose snapped his mouth shut. Wolfaraine was right.

He angled his head, thinking about it. "Damn, you are right. But I think she will do it to save her own life. She might not use Rhodium and Morgan Silver, but she will definitely use the garlic to make you shift back. She knows it doesn't hurt, we are just uncomfortable because of the scent."

"I don't want to leave anything up to chance. That is why I'm here, Alphose." He turned and looked at the cougar Alpha. A male that was almost like his very own self in everything except facial features. Same large physiques parked with rippling muscles, strong and powerful just like he is.

"I want you to be at the Tower tonight. Be there, but stay far away. Tune in on us. Don't interfere unless you really have to. Can you do that for me?"

"You know I will do it—"

"This is not a command." Wolfaraine interrupted, moving closer to the cougar Alpha, he stopped in front of him. "This is a request. I am not asking as your Alpha King. I am asking as your friend."

Alphose barely stopped himself from expressing his surprise. He knew that he is one of the very few people Wolfaraine allowed to come close, and he considers the big male his friend. He just never thought Wolfaraine saw him as a friend too.

Setting his glass down, he rose from his chair and looked Wolfaraine in the eyes, allowing him to see his sincerity down into his soul, "I will protect her with my life." He vowed.

Wolfaraine nodded. "Thank you, Alphose. Like I said, try not to interfere and to stay far away so the cougar does not sense an attack, and attack your first."

"Noted." Alphose hesitated, an uncertainty crossing his feature.

Wolfaraine saw it. "What is it? "

"Cougars. We are highly...sexual in nature and she is your mate. There is a possibility that the cougar would want to mate with her. Did you consider that?"

"I did, it worries me too." He confessed, "but it is unlikely because the cougar does not accept her as our mate.

That part of me has trust issues as long as the Ivory Lake.

" he referred to the longest lake of Naturiah, "So, the chances of wanting to mate with her is low.

You are the cougar Alpha. I want to hear your advice and your opinion, that is also why I'm here. "

"Alright. My opinion is that it might happen.

" Alphose stated firmly, "Cougars are big predators and the best way to approach a predator is to approach in the most submissive way possible.

Since we are talking about the King Cougar here—You—it's best for her to approach the cougar fully naked and on her back, or her knees. "

"Her back makes her most vulnerable, so she should be on her knees, with her hands behind her back. That is the most submissive a woman can approach a predatory changeling. And you know what part of our nature that pose appeals to the most?"

"Our sexual nature." Wolfaraine deadpanned.

"Exactly."

Wolfaraine was analyzing it thoughtfully in his mind, "My cougar is much more feral than a normal cougar, Alphose. That part of our nature is currently not a priority at the moment."

"No, the priority is to Kill and to Destroy, I know.

But if it gives in to it, Ismena will die, and the whole point of tonight is for it not to give in to it.

So, what happens if your mate manages to tap down those prioritized urges?

What other...urge do you think will emerge with the priorities eliminated? "

"Damn," Wolfaraine said, cursing under his breath. "I did not think of that. "

Alphose nodded firmly. "I know. Regardless, my advice is that you get her prepared for that too. Tell her everything about mating with a cougar. She is your lifemate. There's a possibility that the cougar will knot her, so, she needs to know what to expect in case that happens—"

"Don't go there, Alphose. I told you that it hasn't accepted her, so the knotting is a bit of a stretch.

Anyway, I will prefer it if the mating never happens at all.

The cougar will be very aggressive, he would hurt her during it or worse.

..kill her. Once I shift, I will not be able to stop it from happening, but you can.

Do not let it happen. Try everything you can to stop it from happening. " Wolfaraine stated vehemently.

Alphose opened his mouth to remind him that if the Cougar decides to mate with its woman, it's gonna take a very bloody fight—sometimes, a fight to the death—before you can pry a cougar's woman out of its paws. But instead, he swallowed it.

"I will try my best." Alphose promised, "But still tell her about it, so she does not go in blindly. She needs to be ready in every way she can be."

"I will tell her. Thank you, Alphose. I feel more relieved knowing you have her back. How is Kassandra? How are things going with her?" Wolfaraine was watching Alphose carefully as he asked that question.

Immediately, the cougar Alpha's face closed up. Pain and something else flashed in his eyes before he blinked and it was gone.

Alphose did not say anything, but Wolfaraine already knew.

His own eyes flashed, "You touched her, didn't you?"

Alphose shook his head miserably, "I tried not to. I really tried..." He trailed off, guilt radiating from him in waves .

Wolfaraine palmed his head, "You know you should not have. Not with...everything going on, you know you shouldn't have."

"I know, I do know. But," The cougar Alpha exhaled shakily, the agony he has been doing his best to suppress for days reared to the surface. "The cougar wanted her too, Wolfaraine. You know it's much harder to resist when the animal is involved, I just..." He paused, shaking his head.

"I did not take her all the way, but we came damn close." He said at last.

Wolfaraine only felt sad for his friend. Very sad. "You know you should not be touching her, Alphose. Not when there is every possibility that she belongs to your twin brother."

That was the most painful part of it all. The cougar roared, prowling like a caged animal inside him. Their agony was hard to hide and Alphose had no intention to hide it. Not in front of Wolfaraine.

"Did it work? Did she take your scent?" Wolfaraine asked instead, although his guts were already telling him the answer to that.

Alphose shook his head.

The Alpha King actually winced. "Not at all? Not even a little bit?"

The cougar Alpha shook his head again.

A heavy silence descended between them. So heavy that you can hear a pin drop.

"Damn." Wolfaraine groaned at last. Covering the distance between them, he parted Alphose's shoulder in consolation. "I am so sorry, Alphose."